I’m planning to get into Roon in a month or two, using a Raspberry Pi and Allo DigiOne Signature. I’ll be connecting it to my 272 using a digital connection so I can use the DAC in the 272. From what I have read online, a coax cable with BNC connection is preferable over RCA (toslink not an option with the Allo).
However I am having difficulty sourcing a “decent” cable in the Goldilocks zone - not too cheap and not too expensive. Does anyone have any recommendations for a good quality cable that is suitable for my setup?
Any proper 75 ohm CI rf grade cable should be fine… it’s the plugs and their connections to the cable that become more of a variable. I have used home brew (I have been trained on correct RF cable termination) or Gotham cables when I can’t bebothered to make them… they are cheapish, convenient and work as well as my home brews.
I’ve used both Gotham & Flashback cables & then decided to try Bluejeans. There service was excellent, FAST shipping to UK, knowledgeable staff & the quality of the product is great. They advised Belden 1505F Coax from N272 BNC output to Chord Mojo 3.5mm input - very happy
Can’t vouch for Mark Grant cables as they didn’t even reply to my emails…
@SingleSpeed, I have had nothing but good service from Mark. His cables are well up to snuff and his communication was as good as any. Have no idea what went wrong in your case. Unfortunate.
I’m considering this. In another thread I was asking for someone to explain how it works.
With normal Naim streaming, the Naim app tells the streamer to “fetch” a file from the network. How does the Bridge instruct the Naim streamer what to do? Does the streamer (272 in my case) still have normal access to the network for internet radio, etc?
This is true if using the Naim app to spool and play content… however Naim streamers also work when you initiate a media transfer elsewhere and ‘push’ the media to the streamer. In this case the Naim app will still usually show details and album art of what is playing if the server that pushes the media makes that data available.
With Roon the file is pushed from the Roon Core to the Roon Endpoint. The Roon Core pulls from the stored location.
The UPnP Bridge then presents this in UPnP protocol to the Naim Network Player on the Ethernet input.
Access to iRadio & Naim’s Tidal integration is unaffected, as this is internet access through the Ethernet input, as if it had come from a UPnP server.
What’s nice is, if you are listening to the Radio on that input, and select & play something on a Roon to that Endpoint, the Naim player sees the incoming UPnP stream and changes selection.
If you take a Roon input over a Digital input, this doesn’t happen and to have to manually select the correct input.
For me, Roon Readiness on my NDS without having to upgrade to the ND555 or downgrade to the NDX2.
Just bear in mind - this is an area where the ‘audiophile’ traps are out in force.
I have looked at a professional cable/equipment supplier web site for a RF RG59 75ohm BNC to BNC 0.5 metres patch lead. The cost is £1.94 plus VAT. Remember RF applications are typically far more critical and sensitive to accurate characteristic impedances than our SPDIF connections which tend to work to consumer tolerances
Richard I have not tried the specific cable I referenced above - but I have tried a BNC to BNC RG58 albeit the impedances of my cables are 50 ohms as opposed 75ohm- RG59. There was a subtle difference is sound to the Naim SPDIF lead - but I get that between most cables anyway… and different cables seem to sound different with different equipment. In the end I bought a general purpose 75 ohm Gotham RF cable for a few pounds as I needed BNC to phono.
I am not sure about length as you state - from a technical point of view if the cable has the optimum impedance and no mismatches its length becomes largely irrelevant, especially at shorter distances. If there are CI mismatches in the cable, terminations, connectors and plugs then there will be reflections - and the length can make a difference to the overall performance, but the effect would be cyclical . and my back of fag packet calculations suggest CD bandwidth in SPDIF frames has a wavelength of around 19 metres, it would need to be a long cable to have a severe reflection cancellation issue
I use 50cms currently - and that works really well
The bottom line there is much variation here to tune - and one doesn’t need to spend a lot.
My Naim SPDIF cable is the draw - not used right now - but it might be in the future.
I use home made cables using RG59 cable normally terminated in BNC’s which seem to work fine, my longest cable being 3 metres. I also have a RG58 cable (technically the wrong impedance) which i have terminated in BNC at one end and a 3.5mm jack (totally the wrong connector) at the other, which is required to enable connection to my Mojo DAC for remote operation at my sofa for headphone use! The RG58 cable is about 2 metres long and that works fine too.
I have borrowed a friends Roland rcc-3- sdi video 75 ohm cable, it’s £7 for a metre. Available in lengths for professional studios of 60 metres or more. I thought it fared really well against Naim DC1. Still trying it, but worth a listen, well made for music and video studio work and good price.
